Main verse: Isaiah 43

Good morning

            The game show “Let’s Make a Deal”, proposes a deal to the contestant to exchange their game winnings for the item behind door number 1,2, or 3. The problem was that the door the contestant chooses may be a worthless prize or, it might be valuable. Once the contestant makes his/her choices, the deal is over, and the game is over. In the game of life, each person on the planet is a contestant if he/she chooses to be. Like the show, once we make a choice, there is no going back to change the outcome. In Isaiah chapter 43, the prophet talks about the good things instore for the nation but as the chapter ends, the tone of the writer changes from being uplifting and encouraging to a somber tone and points out why the nation Israel was not being blessed and why Israel was ultimately destroyed.

            As sentient beings, we have free will over our lives that is, God will never demand anything of us, nor will He make promises to entice us to follow Him. The Devil will promise humans the sun and the moon and make his pathway appeal to our human desires. The moment we decide to act on a temptation, irrevocably changes the trajectory of our lives as an example Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:1-9). Walking in obedience to the Lord, while uplifting and encouraging, also comes with difficulties and challenges as an example Paul (2 Corinthians 11:22-29). God’s offer to humankind is this, “Listen closely, I have set before you today life and prosperity (good), and death and adversity (evil) (Deuteronomy 30:15).

            I encourage you today to consider Israel’s story how sin destroyed God’s plan for their lives. Read the Word of God to see all of His benefits then, look around your city, state, and nation to see how sin has destroyed cultures, churches, and communities then chose the pathway you will follow (John 10:10).

I.H.S.

Mike